Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Electrical Tech => Topic started by: orjnlfarmertom on July 20, 2005, 07:59:11 AM

Title: Dash cluster
Post by: orjnlfarmertom on July 20, 2005, 07:59:11 AM
My 88 turbo coupe has no fuel gauge, water gauge, or oil pressure gauge. My tach, speedo, amp gauge and turbo boost gauge work..
I tried a different cluster hoping that was the quick answer to my problem but it wasnt..
So now i dont know.. i dont have a any wiring diagrams or anything on it.. so im hoping you guys can help me... i hope it is a something simple, and not like my computer isnt putting out the signals to the gauges or something....
Anything you guys might think of would be great....
Title: Re: Dash cluster
Post by: MasterBlaster on July 20, 2005, 09:45:47 AM
All 3 gauges get power from the voltage regulator (little silver can on the back of the cluster). The regulator gets power from the ignition switch, arriving at terminal A7, and grounding via A12.

Take out the cluster, and with the key on make sure you have power at A7 (grey/yellow wire, 3rd from the left on top, plug facing you) and a good ground at A12 (black, 3rd from the left on the bottom, right under A7).
Title: Re: Dash cluster
Post by: orjnlfarmertom on July 21, 2005, 07:35:05 AM
Thank you so much sir!!!
There wasnt any power there at A7 so i took the steering column apart and went to the ignition switch, found the same wire , gave the old yank test and walla!  It came right out of the connector for the igntion switch all charred and burnt...
Fixed it, now they all work...
Thanx so much!!
Title: Re: Dash cluster
Post by: MasterBlaster on July 21, 2005, 08:08:19 AM
Did you use the "right" wire?
For some reason I can't remember at the moment, Ford decided it had to be a special "resistor" wire of 8.5 ohms. You may have noticed it only had a single silvery strand instead of multiple twisted copper strands like "normal" wires.